Through the Company Secretaries Act of 1980, an act of Parliament, the ICSI was essentially constituted as a statutory organisation. The parent organisation that oversees the overall operation of the CLA is the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, which now has 3.5 lac students registered in its programmes in addition to about 62000 members. Thus, the role of corporate secretary is highly respected and senior in both public and commercial organisations. The primary function of a Company Secretary (CS) is to serve as an intermediary between an organisation and its numerous shareholders, board of directors, government, and regulatory authorities. A CS is regarded as a Key Managerial Personnel (KMP) in a company where he regularly interacts with the top level management. A Company Secretary meticulously ensures that the rules of a company are being acquiesced with, and a CS is thus considered as an admirable appellation to hold.

In addition, company secretaries provide advice on good governance practises and complete adherence to corporate governance standards concerning the full framework of securities and business laws. The position of a company secretary has grown significantly along with the varied corporate world’s continuous transformation.

In the past, a company secretary’s only responsibility was to support the board of directors and upper management. However, in today’s business-oriented world, a company secretary is seen as a company’s “conscience seeker” because of the variety of roles he plays, from managing the taxing legal matters to ensuring careful corporate governance to overseeing corporate social responsibility, in addition to dealing extensively with the statutory regulations that have grown significantly. with the growing need for maintaining complete transparency by an organization, at all times.

Thus, a competent company secretary may work for both public and private companies. He can also investigate the complex and diverse stock exchange, where a company secretary might anticipate significant profits. A company secretary may also open his own business where he can provide his clients with smart advice. From this, it can be said that being a company secretary is a very fulfilling career in the modern world.

But enrolling in a demanding professional course is not a simple task; it requires not only a great deal of effort and regular, continuous study, but also the appropriate assistance from professors who can help us succeed in our quest to become competent Company Secretaries. Students must pass three required levels in order to clear so as to be a competent and certified Company Secretary and these three levels are –

• CS Executive Entrance Test (CSEET)
• CS Executive
• CS Professional